Congenital heart defects differ following left versus right avian cardiac neural crest ablation.

The cardiac neural crest is critical for the normal development of the heart, as its surgical ablation in the chick recapitulates common human congenital heart defects such as 'Common Arterial Trunk' and 'Double Outlet Right Ventricle' (DORV). While left-right asymmetry is known to be important for heart development, little is known about potential asymmetric differences between right and left cardiac neural folds with respect to heart development. Here, through surgical ablation of either left or right cardiac neural crest, we find that right ablation results in more varied and more severe heart defects.

Congenital heart defects differ following left versus right avian cardiac neural crest ablation.

The cardiac neural crest is critical for the normal development of the heart, as its surgical ablation in the chick recapitulates common human congenital heart defects such as 'Common Arterial Trunk' and 'Double Outlet Right Ventricle' (DORV). While left-right asymmetry is known to be important for heart development, little is known about potential asymmetric differences between right and left cardiac neural folds with respect to heart development. Here, through surgical ablation of either left or right cardiac neural crest, we find that right ablation results in more varied and more severe heart defects.

Schwann cell precursors represent a neural crest-like state with biased multipotency.

Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) are nerve-associated progenitors that can generate myelinating and non-myelinating Schwann cells but also are multipotent like the neural crest cells from which they originate. SCPs are omnipresent along outgrowing peripheral nerves throughout the body of vertebrate embryos. By using single-cell transcriptomics to generate a gene expression atlas of the entire neural crest lineage, we show that early SCPs and late migratory crest cells have similar transcriptional profiles characterised by a multipotent "hub" state containing cells biased towards traditional neural crest fates.

A niche for axial stem cells - A cellular perspective in amniotes.

The head-tail axis in birds and mammals develops from a growth zone in the tail-end, which contains the node. This growth zone then forms the tailbud. Labelling experiments have shown that while many cells leave the node and tailbud to contribute to axial (notochord, floorplate) and paraxial (somite) structures, some cells remain resident in the node and tailbud.

The embryonic node behaves as an instructive stem cell niche for axial elongation.

In warm-blooded vertebrate embryos (mammals and birds), the axial tissues of the body form from a growth zone at the tail end, Hensen's node, which generates neural, mesodermal, and endodermal structures along the midline. While most cells only pass through this region, the node has been suggested to contain a small population of resident stem cells. However, it is unknown whether the rest of the node constitutes an instructive niche that specifies this self-renewal behavior.

Reprint of: Schwann cell precursors: Where they come from and where they go.

Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) are a transient population in the embryo, closely associated with nerves along which they migrate into the periphery of the body. Long considered to be progenitors that only form Schwann cells-the myelinating cells of nerves, current evidence suggests that SCPs have much broader developmental potential. Indeed, different cell marking techniques employed over the past 20 years have identified multiple novel SCP derivatives throughout the body.

Development of the smooth newt, Lissotriton vulgaris, as observed in a garden pond during lockdown.

Background: Lissotriton vulgaris ("smooth newt") was an important organism for experimental embryology, especially in the early 20th century. The stages of development of L. vulgaris from the appearance of the first cleavage to metamorphosis have previously been described, but only through drawings.

Schwann cell precursors: Where they come from and where they go.

Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) are a transient population in the embryo, closely associated with nerves along which they migrate into the periphery of the body. Long considered to be progenitors that only form Schwann cells-the myelinating cells of nerves, current evidence suggests that SCPs have much broader developmental potential. Indeed, different cell marking techniques employed over the past 20 years have identified multiple novel SCP derivatives throughout the body.

A strategy to discover new organizers identifies a putative heart organizer.

Organizers are regions of the embryo that can both induce new fates and impart pattern on other regions. So far, surprisingly few organizers have been discovered, considering the number of patterned tissue types generated during development. This may be because their discovery has relied on transplantation and ablation experiments.

Tabletop scenarios for realism in bioterrorism and threat preparedness.

Five realistic tabletop scenarios were designed to facilitate threat preparedness training of Medical, Public Health, Nursing, Emergency Services, Mental Health, Allied Health, and Pharmacy personnel. Training scenarios were (1) student contaminates lettuce (Act) in a state university with Shigella sonnei (Agent), (2) dismissed athlete contaminates ice (Act) at the basketball tournament with Escherichia coli (Agent), (3) workers fail to report abandoned backpacks (Act) at a state fair that contain smallpox virus (Agent), (4) terrorists expose county residents (Act) to Pneumonic plague bacterium (Agent), and (5) infected birds expose field-trip participants (Act) to Avian influenza virus (Agent). Evaluation of the tabletops yielded positive ratings of educational outcomes in these domains: well-structured, organized, plausible, realistic, engaging, on-target, useful, and multidisciplinary.

Personal assistance services in the workplace: A literature review.

Background: Personal assistance services (PAS) can be valuable adjuncts to the complement of accommodations that support workers with disabilities. This literature review explored the professional literature on the use of PAS in the workplace.

Methods: Bibliographic sources were used to locate relevant research studies on the use of PAS in the workplace.

Employer benefits from making workplace accommodations.

Background: This study explored workplace disability accommodations and their benefits. The participants were employers and human resource professionals who had not used the services of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). The companies included large businesses (more than 499 employees) and small businesses (fewer than 500 employees).

Personal Assistance Services (PAS) for individuals with disabilities: self-care at the workplace.

Objective: The intent of this investigation was to identify current definitions, issues, and strategies related to the use of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in the workplace.

Participants: The participants were employees with disabilities who used PAS in the workplace as well as employers who participated in research studies over the past 20 years.

Methods: More than 30 articles were reviewed to determine PAS definitions, use, policies, and outcomes.

Cost of workplace accommodations for individuals with disabilities: with or without personal assistance services.

Background: This study compared the expense associated with use of personal assistance services (PAS) for individuals with disabilities to the expense incurred by individuals with disabilities who did not use PAS. The intent of this investigation was to assess the disability accommodation costs and benefits of PAS and non-PAS cases.

Methods: The study uses 1,182 follow-up telephone surveys and 24 telephone interviews of employers who had previously contacted the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) to discuss disability-related accommodations for an employee or potential employee that were conducted from January 2004 through December 2006.

Perceived barriers to health care access among rural older adults: a qualitative study.

Context: Many rural elders experience limited access to health care. The majority of what we know about this issue has been based upon quantitative studies, yet qualitative studies might offer additional insight into individual perceptions of health care access.

Purpose: To examine what barriers rural elders report when accessing needed health care, including how they cope with the high cost of prescription medication.